Wes’s Wednesday Wisdom

Saying it and doing it are two different things When I work with my clients on a new AMS selection and implementation, one thing I focus on heavily is business rules and business process. This is an area most associations have total control over and is also an area that can bring dramatic improvements to data […]

Benefits downstream are difficult to implement In my 25 years of consulting, one of the biggest challenges I’ve seen organizations face is implementing a process change that is initially “difficult” but has significant downstream benefits (i.e., hard now, but beneficial later) . For example, a client of mine explained that it would be very helpful to her

Your first answer may NOT be the right answer! I’m a big believer in “go with your gut,” especially if it’s something that you have a lot of experience with. I’m in my 25th year of consulting with associations on all things data management, and my first response to most issues is usually correct. But not always!

You don’t have to automate EVERYTHING to be successful I was discussing a data management process with a client recently. We were trying to determine the best path for automating a particular process, and at one point the client said “I feel like it’s a failure if we can’t automate this process.” And then it

Technology won’t solve your process problems Over the past few years I’ve watched as many more associations have taken to adopting project management (PM) software. On its face, this is a good thing. But my experience with my clients is that many of them are struggling to have much success with their PM software and

“Screen noise” is a real thing. You might be able to fix it. One of the most common complaints I hear from my clients about their AMS is something along the lines of “There are all these fields on the screen we never use. They just get in the way and are annoying.” This is

Success Starts at the Top I recently had a conversation with an association staffer who was asking for ideas on how she could increase staff adoption of a certain enterprise-wide technology. As she put it, “Only half the staff uses it. The rest seem to have no interest, no matter what I do.” In the course

Who are you bringing along? Last week I had the opportunity to attend the AWTC Advance, an in-person event sponsored by AWTC, the Association Women Technology Champions. As their website states, AWTC “is a networking and educational group, providing knowledge and support to advance women in association technology.” (Click here to learn more.) I was really impressed

Write it down! If you’re in the market for a new AMS (or any new technology that has a breadth of functionality, e.g., LMS, marketing platform), before you start shopping and looking at products, you need to write down what you want out of the system. I’m surprised at the number of organizations I’ve spoken with over the

Why “weeding the garden” is so important One of the most important activities for maintaining quality data in your database is what I call “weeding the garden.” Simply put, weeding the garden means proactively managing your data, consistently, over time, rather than trying to clean up the data in one big effort once every couple of